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You're Hired: Tracking the Trump Administration Transition - March 24, 2017
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This is the March 24, 2017, edition of an email sent from November 2016 to September 2017 that covered Donald Trump's presidential transition, cabinet appointees, and the different policy positions of those individuals who may have had an effect on the new administration. Previous editions of "You're Hired" can be found here.
While we wait to see what the future of the American Health Care Act (AHCA) is, we are going to take a look at other news that came out of the administration this week. Follow our AHCA coverage here, and stay tuned for our Monday briefing.
The New York Times and Politico reported on Monday that Ivanka Trump, President Donald Trump’s daughter, had stepped away from her business duties, transferred her assets to a trust, and been given an office in the West Wing, in order to work as an unpaid advisor in the Trump administration. Today, we will look at what role, if any, Trump’s immediate family—his four adult children, son-in-law, and wife—will play in his presidency.
Ivanka Trump
Relation: Daughter
Role in the administration: Unpaid advisor
In January, Ivanka Trump indicated that she would move to Washington, D.C., and take a leave of absence from her executive roles at her namesake lifestyle brand and the Trump Organization. At the time, she was a member of the transition team and had been involved in Trump’s conversations with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Argentine President Mauricio Macri, among others.
In an interview with NPR this week, Jamie Gorelick, Ivanka’s attorney, discussed the parameters of Ivanka’s role in administration. She said that Ivanka would “continue to be the eyes and ears of her father and provide candid advice as she has for her entire adult life.” Gorelick added, “She is intending to spend some time on initiatives that she cares about, particularly with regard to women in the workplace.” Just last month, Ivanka met with members of Congress to promote a tax deduction for childcare expenses and requiring employers to provide paid maternity leave.
Her advisory role is an unpaid position without an official title.
Ivanka’s office will be on the second floor of the West Wing next to Dina Powell, the deputy national security adviser for strategy. Politico reported that she was in the process of obtaining security clearance and receiving a government-issued communications device.
Ethics questions
Gorelick noted that White Counsel reviewed the ethics of her role. “Our view is that the conservative approach is for Ivanka to voluntarily comply with the rules that would apply if she were a government employee, even though she is not. The White House Counsel's Office agrees with that approach,” she said.
During a press briefing on Wednesday, White House press secretary Sean Spicer said that Ivanka was going through the appropriate process to gain a security clearance. “Ivanka has decided to go above and beyond, and act in certain ways to ensure that she complies with certain rules by maintaining the Federal Records Act, getting a security clearance so that if she is privy to any information that is classified, she has to abide by the same rules and regulations in terms of being in a room and how it's handled, et cetera. We have taken appropriate measures to do that,” Spicer said.
Jared Kushner
Relation: Son-in-law
Role in the administration: Senior advisor
During the presidential election, Ivanka’s husband, Jared Kushner, played an informal but active role in campaign activities. This is how The New York Times described Kushner's involvement: "Mr. Kushner has become involved in virtually every facet of the Trump presidential operation, so much so that many inside and out of it increasingly see him as a de facto campaign manager."
In January, Kushner was hired to officially work in the administration, advising on trade policy and the Middle East. The Times of London reported that Trump had specifically appointed Kushner to broker a Middle East peace deal.
Kushner has the office on the first floor of the West Wing closest to the Oval Office.
Ethics questions
Because of Kushner’s relationship-by-marriage to Trump, Democrats members of the House Judiciary Committee questioned whether his appointment violated anti-nepotism and conflict of interest laws. They submitted a letter to the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Office of Government Ethics expressing their concerns.
Enacted in 1967, 5 U.S.C. § 3110, the federal anti-nepotism statute, prevents a government official from appointing “to a civilian position in the agency in which he is serving or over which he exercises jurisdiction or control any individual who is a relative of the public official.” The Trump transition team maintained that the law did not apply to the White House because it was not a government agency.
On January 20, 2017, the U.S. Department of Justice found that Trump's hiring of Kushner did not violate federal nepotism laws. One official described the department's decision, saying, "We believe that the President's special hiring authority in 3 U.S.C. § 105(a) permits him to make appointments to the White House Office that the anti-nepotism statute might otherwise forbid."
Donald Trump Jr.
Relation: Son
Role in the administration: None
Donald “Don” Trump Jr., Trump’s eldest child, does not have a formal role in the Trump administration. Along with his brother, he manages the Trump Organization with a focus on commercial licensing and international deals. During the transition period, however, Don assisted in the vetting process for interior secretary candidates.
He said two weeks ago that he “basically [has] zero contact” with his father since his inauguration.
Eric Trump
Relation: Son
Role in the administration: None
Like his older brother Don, Eric Trump manages the Trump Organization and its golf courses. Although he was involved in at least one meeting last year between his father and former Gov. Mitt Romney, who was then under consideration for secretary of state, Eric does not have a role in the Trump administration.
The New York Times reported in December 2016 that Eric was auctioning off a meeting with his sister Ivanka for the Eric Trump Foundation, a fundraising charity whose primary beneficiary is the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Fred Wertheimer, the president of the watchdog group Democracy 21, criticized the event. “The president’s family should not be out raising money for whatever cause, in exchange for a potential influence buyer who wants to get his views to the president,” he said.
The event was later canceled. On December 22, 2016, Eric suspended the operations of the Eric Trump Foundation to avoid the appearance of pay-for-play
Tiffany Trump
Relation: Daughter
Role in the administration: None
In 2016, Trump’s youngest daughter, Tiffany, graduated from the University of Pennsylvania where she studied sociology and urban studies. She spoke at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, focusing her remarks on her relationship with her father. “As a recent college graduate, many of my accomplishments are still to come, but my dad takes such pride in all that I've done so far, no matter how big or how small,” she said.
Last month, older brother Eric said that Tiffany was “soon to be within the organization,” referring to the Trump Organization.
Melania Trump
Relation: Wife
Role in the administration: First lady
The role of first lady is not an official position. Many first ladies, from Dolley Madison to Michelle Obama, have nevertheless committed time during their years in Washington to champion a particular cause.
On the campaign trail, Melania said that she wanted to address cyberbullying and online harassment. “It is never OK when a 12-year-old girl or boy is mocked, bullied or attacked. It is terrible when that happens on the playground and it is absolutely unacceptable when it’s done by someone with no name hiding on the internet,” she said during a rally near Philadelphia in November 2016.
Trump suggested on February 16, 2017, however, that Melania would be focused on women’s issues. “She, like others that she's working with, feels very, very strongly about women's issues, women's difficulties, very, very strongly. … She's going to be a tremendous representative of women and of the people. And helping her and working with her will be Ivanka, who is a fabulous person and a fabulous, fabulous woman.”
See also
- You're Hired: Tracking the Trump Administration Transition
- Donald Trump presidential transition team
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